


onward

by fayery



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 16:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13011894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fayery/pseuds/fayery
Summary: They're smitten and the whole stable knows it.





	onward

It was early enough that the crickets were still singing, leaping out of the way for Sumia to trudge down the rugged path across royal grounds. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but she’d been doing this long enough that her feet could carry her safely from her bed to the stables even with her eyes closed. And they had, in fact, on mornings such as this, when the Shepherds had returned too late the night before and she could only be afforded three or four hours of sleep.

But her pegasi expected their morning snacks at five o’clock sharp regardless. Sumia could field off the disappointed looks from her fellow knights, but from the animals themselves? She wouldn’t dare. And this morning was no different, despite the looming pressure of yet another urgent mission for which they’d be departing shortly after dawn.

Sumia reached the stable gates and swung her legs over the wooden posts as clumsily as to be expected. Rubbing her tired eyes with one hand and reaching into the snack pouch she’d carried in with the other, she announced with a yawn: “Goooood morning, everyone. It’s celery today. Stahl used up the last of the carrots at dinner last ni--”

“Sumia?”

She paused in her tracks, focusing her eyes for the first time on the view before her. Twelve grey-winged beasts lined up in their stalls, thrusting their heads over the gates, facing her as expectantly as always. But there, at the end of the walkway: a tall woman, bare-shouldered beneath a veritable bird’s nest of spiky red hair. Frozen in place as if she were caught stealing _from_ the horses instead of handing the treats over _to_ them.

“Oh. Good morning to you, too, Sully.”

“Mornin’. I, uh, thought you were supposed to be leaving already?”

The atmosphere felt unsettled in the stables. A few of the pegasi shifted from hoof-to-hoof, clearly nervous at the extra presence in their quarters. Sumia shook her head ‘no’ as she walked up to her, kicking clumps of straw out of her way. “Not quite. We don’t leave ‘til Phila finishes briefing the exalt later this morning.”

“Huh. Makes sense, I guess.”

Something about Sully looked … unfamiliar. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t wearing her armor. Sumia liked to tease her that she might as well sleep in it, for all the hours she needlessly kept it on, at meals and in her private quarters. But she looked uncomfortable, too, just like the horses. It felt strange to speak to Sully and not hear laughter in her voice.

Come to think of it: Sumia was still in her sleepwear, her hair untied and thin fabric draped carelessly over her frame. Neither of them had expected to run into the other here. Sumia had been the sole knight on morning stable duty for over a year now, and Sully never got out of bed before dawn if she didn’t have to. Suddenly overcome with shyness, Sumia tore her eyes away from the freckles on Sully’s collarbone and pulled out a celery stick to feed to the pegasus waiting in front of them. She rubbed his nose and murmured a greeting, waiting for the other woman to speak first.

They used to chat nonstop for hours, in the mess hall or in each other’s quarters, loudly and excitedly enough for the other soldiers to poke their heads through the door and beg them to go to sleep. But lately things had been calmer. Sumia had grown afraid of saying too much. Maybe Sully had, too.

Both of them watched the pegasus finish his morning snack, carefully avoiding looking at each other until Sully cleared her throat. “I figured you wouldn’t have time to stop by here before you left, so I just…” She shrugged and trailed off, reaching out to pat the pegasus on the nose, like Sumia had.

Sumia turned to offer her a questioning smile. “Thought you’d do me a favor?”

Sully met her eye, then glanced away, a blush spreading across her cheeks and ears. “Hey, someone’s gotta feed ‘em.”

Sully had sidestepped the question, but the persistent redness to her face suggested that Sumia was right. Sumia felt a familiar twist in the pit of her stomach as it occurred to her. It was… it was the same one she’d felt the first time Sully approached her with a cup of tea she hadn’t asked for, already spiced with her favorite herbs. Just to be kind. To be kind to _her._

She felt color rise to her cheeks, too.

“Mm, that’s true.” Sumia reached down to rummage around in the snack pouch again, then pulled out another fistful of celery. “But hey, if you _do_ feel like doing me a favor… how about you get that side, and I’ll get this one?”

Sully blinked at the snacks Sumia brandished in front of her, visibly perplexed.

“For the animals?” Sumia offered sweetly.

“Oh. Oh! Sure. Yeah. I’m on it.” She pointed and winked at Sumia, earning a giggle for the first time that morning. This was more like it: the two of them indulging in each other’s silliness, no longer feeling self-conscious, in the company of their dearest companions... still, as she tucked her unkempt hair behind her ears, Sumia could feel Sully’s eyes on her from the other side of the stable.

Small talk as they went about feeding the pegasi, then more as they raked fresh straw into piles and checked the riding equipment. Finally, as they got ready to close the gates again, each of the animals placated and nickering quietly in their stalls:

“Feeling sentimental there, Sumia?”

She stood in the open doorway looking back at the pegasi, her hand resting on the splintered wood, hesitant to tear her gaze away from the dozen of them staring back at her.

“Y-yeah. I just… sometimes I just wonder if it’s the last time I’ll ever see them.” She tossed her hair and turned to glance over her shoulder at Sully, who was already outside waiting in the morning glow. “You know what I mean?”

“I know what you mean.” Sully crossed her arms. “That’s why you never skip a morning, huh?”

She knew Sully would understand. “That’s right.” Sumia worried at her lip and turned back around for one last peek into the stable. “Be good for me, alright?” she whispered to the creatures, hoping they would feel her emotions even if they couldn’t hear her.

But she could hear Sully’s boots crunching in the dirt with each step as she approached. She allowed Sully to gently push the wooden doors to a close and lead her away from the stables. “Come on. If you stand here fretting over them for too long we’ll miss breakfast.” She said it with sympathy, though, her eyes soft at the corners as they finally met Sumia’s. They shared a rueful smile.

Sumia paused mid-step. “Hey, Sully.”

“Hm?” Sully stopped, too.

She reached out to grab the hem of Sully’s shirt and tug her closer. Her arms wrapped comfortably around Sully’s waist, their height difference leaving them at the perfect level for Sumia to rest her forehead against Sully’s shoulder. She felt Sully’s muscles tense and then relax, then her rough hands resting at the small of her back. If she listened close enough she might’ve been able to hear her heartbeat.

“Thank you for the help,” she murmured against Sully’s shoulder, then pulled away from the embrace. Her hands lingered at Sully’s elbows.

Sully was still wide-eyed, blushing just as hard as before. It took her a moment to find her voice. “Um. N-no… no problem. I woulda done it anyway. Unless you were. I mean, I would have helped, but --”

Sumia couldn’t hold back another round of giggles, and this time it seemed to be contagious: Sully started to laugh at herself, too, dragging a hand down her face in defeat. “Don’t worry about it. You said something about breakfast?”

She nodded, still shaking with laughter and maybe (probably) nerves. “Yeah, I did. Let’s just go.”

“Let’s go.”

So they went, with Sumia’s fingers resting warm against Sully’s palm, the demands of the upcoming day now somehow weightless on their shoulders.


End file.
